


Let Me

by alakeofstars



Series: Writing Prompts [1]
Category: NCT (Band), SuperM (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Not K-Pop Idols, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-12 19:21:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29764416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alakeofstars/pseuds/alakeofstars
Summary: “Do you want to stay?” Ten asked later when they were in the kitchen.Yukhei glanced over to Ten and found him smiling that same soft, fond smile from earlier.  “The night?”Ten shrugged, still smiling. “Or the weekend. You can go back tomorrow to grab anything you need. I have a spare toothbrush but I’m pretty sure you can’t fit it into my clothes. Unless there’s anything you need tonight?”Yukhei pretended to consider it carefully, head tilted, worrying his bottom lip with his teeth. “No, I don’t think so. Maybe my weighted blanket?”“Oh, baby,” Ten said, his smile growing sly. “I’ll make sure you don’t have any trouble falling asleep tonight.”
Relationships: Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten/Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas
Series: Writing Prompts [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2202204
Comments: 24
Kudos: 80





	1. Chapter 1

Yukhei first realized he loved Ten in his freshman year of college when his grandmother had gone into the hospital. Miles away and unable to do anything other than wait, he had felt helpless — and finding himself completely unable to tell anyone, not even his roommate, Yukhei had felt utterly and completely alone. He locked himself in the bathroom and climbed into the bathtub, and sat there quietly, his head resting against his knees until he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.

It was Ten: _are you doing okay?_

Yukhei considered lying, telling Ten that he was fine, but they had known each other for ages. There was no reason to be anything other than honest.

 _No_.

_I’m going to call. Pick up._

They talked for an hour until Yukhei’s mother was on the other line, and when they said their good-byes, Ten reminded him that he was and would always be there for him. No matter what. And Yukhei felt it in his heart.

Yukhei first realized he was in love with Ten years later. It reminded him of a wave while the tide was out: there was nothing sudden or crashing about it, it didn’t sneak up on him, but rather slowly washed up his body, from head to toe until he was fully immersed. It was easy to love Ten.

It just wasn’t easy to tell him, even after growing up together, after being friends, even after that night in his senior year, when Yukhei had come home for the holidays and things their friendship became more. For years, they moved in and out of each other’s orbit, the intensity of their intimacy flexible, and Yukhei waited — and hoped — that there would be a moment when he could find the bravery and the strength to tell Ten that it had been him, it had been him this whole time, and that it would always be him.

The week before Ten’s birthday, a date that seemed to be etched permanently in Yukhei’s mind, Ten texted and asked if he wanted to attend his birthday party.

 _Super causal_ , he wrote. _Just friends and family and drinks._

 _What about that fire pit in the backyard?_ Yukhei had seen pictures of his new place on social media; Ten finally had that yard he had been dreaming about since he finished his degree and, seemingly, promptly installed outdoor heating.

 _Oh, you know we’re getting that thing going_.  
_This is a classy event. We need the ambiance._

Yukhei smiled at his phone. _Can I bring anything?_

 _Wine.  
_ _A gift.  
_ _Yourself.  
_ _I’m easy._

The night of Ten’s birthday party, Yukhei brought all three and pressed a kiss to Ten’s cheek, murmuring a ‘happy birthday’ in his ear. There were more than just a few people and it was loud, but Ten smiled and nodded and Yukhei knew that he had heard him.

When the sun went down, it was time to head out to the backyard for birthday cake, and with the candlelight reflecting on his face, Ten had never looked more beautiful and Yukhei couldn’t help but stare. Was he dating anyone? It had been a while since they had discussed relationships — or anything, really, work had been busy with his promotion but Ten never held it against him. And they always started up right where they left off so easily.

Ten must have sensed the weight of Yukhei’s gaze and when he glanced up, he smiled, soft and sweet and Yukhei felt his heart thud heavily in his chest. Even in a crowd of people, Ten made him feel like he was the only person he saw.

“Are you having a good time?” Ten asked when he made his way over, his hand resting on Yukhei’s arm.

“Yeah,” Yukhei said immediately, “of course. Are _you_ having a good time? It’s your birthday.”

Ten grinned and nodded, and then stepped closer, leaning his head against Yukhei’s shoulder. His fingertips danced down Yukhei’s arm to his wrist before he threaded their fingers together.“I’m really glad you came. I missed you.”

“I’ll do better,” Yukhei promised. He pressed a kiss to Ten’s hair and then lingered, breathing in the scent of his shampoo. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry, baby. I just want to see you more often.”

Yukhei wondered what in the world he had done to deserve Ten. It must have been good — or he must have been born lucky, he couldn’t tell which.

* * *

“Do you want to stay?” Ten asked later when they were in the kitchen.

It was late, all of the guests had gone home after showering Ten with love and affection, kisses and tight hugs that made him squeak and everyone laugh. It seemed wrong to leave Ten a mess to clean up on his birthday, so Yukhei stayed and helped gather plates and glasses, loading the dishwasher and hand washing whatever didn’t fit or was too delicate. Every so often, they’d switch places at the sink and it made Yukhei flutter whenever Ten would place his hand on his waist or the small of his back as they worked.

Yukhei glanced over to Ten and found him smiling that same soft, fond smile from earlier.“The night?”

Ten shrugged, still smiling. “Or the weekend. You can go back tomorrow to grab anything you need. I have a spare toothbrush but I’m pretty sure you can’t fit it into my clothes. Unless there’s anything you need tonight?”

Yukhei pretended to consider it carefully, head tilted, worrying his bottom lip with his teeth. “No, I don’t think so. Maybe my weighted blanket?”

“Oh, baby,” Ten said, his smile growing sly. “I’ll make sure you don’t have any trouble falling asleep tonight.”

Yukhei laughed and then bumped against Ten playfully. He was blushing and he knew that Ten could see, but honestly, he was just grateful he didn’t drop the wine glass he was holding in his surprise. “Oh yeah?”

“Mm,” Ten started as he stepped behind Yukhei, his arms slipping around his waist, “mm-hm.”

Yukhei could feel the heat radiating off of his body and he loved the dizzy excitement that bubbled up inside. He wasn’t like this with other guys. Friends, boyfriends — they all seemed to look at him and expect someone different, and he gave them that. He was loud and leaned into any opportunity to entertain a crowd, full of bravado and more confidence than he had any right to have, but with Ten, it was different. Ten gave him the space to be quiet and introspective, to be sweet and gentle; he swept him off his feet regularly, instead of needing Yukhei to do that for him.

Yukhei liked who he was with Ten. He brought out the best in him. He hoped he made Ten feel the same way.

“Do you want to stay?” Ten asked again, his voice muffled slightly as he nuzzled into Yukhei’s shoulder and Yukhei nodded.

“Yeah,” he said softly, setting his damp hand over Ten’s.

It was harder to finish cleaning up now that they knew what waited for them after but Yukhei was strong and for every kiss that Ten offered, he managed to clean two glasses or pieces of silverware. When they were done, Ten flicked off the light, and then they made their way upstairs.

Yukhei had stayed the night a few times at Ten’s old place but mostly, they had found themselves at Yukhei’s apartment. Ten’s house was new to Yukhei and he must have realized that because he attempted to give a very basic, very rushed tour as they made out in the hall on their way to the bedroom.

“Office,” he mumbled against Yukhei’s lips and he gestured vaguely to the side.

“Where?” Yukhei teased, pulling away and pretending to care while his hands pushed Ten’s shirt up.

“There,” Ten said with a laugh, “by the guest room.”

“Show me tomorrow,” Yukhei said and Ten nodded quickly and leaned in to kiss him again, muttering against his lips, “I’ll show you tomorrow.”

Once in the bedroom, Ten pushed Yukhei back on the bed and then climbed on top, straddling his waist. His shirt was off, abandoned at the door, and he sighed softly as Yukhei’s big hands stroked over his skin, teasing up his sides before smoothing down, almost worshipful in nature.

“I missed you,” he breathed.

“I missed you, too,” Yukhei said. “I missed kissing you. Touching you,” he continued, his gaze following the path of his hands as they moved to Ten’s hips. Taking hold of him, Yukhei guided him into a rolling grind and they both made soft, pleased sounds at the stimulation. “I missed your body.”

“Yeah?” Ten asked, rocking against Yukhei slow and steady. He braced himself with his hands on Yukhei’s stomach and then started circling his hips.

It was almost too much — he was too beautiful, he felt too good. Yukhei pushed up against him and whispered, “always.”

“We should fix that,” Ten murmured and then ducked down to kiss Yukhei before he could ask what he meant.

Fix it —how? By fucking? Now? More often? By being a couple? Yukhei’s mind attempted to make sense of the statement but then another delicious grind from Ten distracted him completely, and he groaned into the kiss.

“I really want to make you come,” he whispered against Yukhei’s lips and then he laughed, low and breathy when Yukhei made another noise and palmed his ass, tugging him closer. “Yeah? You want me to make you come?”

“Please.”

“How do you want me, baby?” Ten asked, sitting back up.

It was hard to think with Ten on top of him. It had been so long since they had been together like this last and Ten had been the only person he had thought about that entire time. At night, in the shower — any opportunity he had his hands on himself, Ten was there, in his mind.

“Yukhei?”

“Fuck me,” he whispered, finally, and he wished that he could take a picture then of Ten’s sexy, self-assured smile, or bottle the electric thrill that it gave Yukhei. “Please?” He added but he knew it was extraneous: Ten never withheld from him, not when he knew he could make Yukhei feel good.

“Shh,” Ten murmured, stroking his hands up over Yukhei’s sides, his grinding harder, more precise, and teasing against Yukhei’s cock through their clothes. “I’ve got you, baby.”

It didn’t take too long before Yukhei was panting softly through parted lips but Ten didn’t stop there, riding him harder until he was pushing up to meet him, their bodies moving together. Yukhei wondered, briefly, as his hands gripped at Ten’s hips fiercely, if he had asked for the wrong thing: maybe what he really wanted was Ten on top, to watch his eyes widen and his mouth fall open as he fucked up into him, over and over. He didn’t have time to explore that thought, however, because just as Yukhei’s thrusts became more purposeful, Ten was easing off his lap.

“I love this,” he said as he stood over Yukhei, his head tilted fondly.

“What?”

“You, being here. In my bed.” Ten smiled.

_Now?_

_Should I tell him now?_

“Jeans,” Ten prompted him before he had the chance to make up his mind, and Yukhei reached for the fly of his pants automatically, unbuttoning them as he watched Ten undress.

He remembered the first time he had seen Ten naked, how it felt like every cell in his body was suddenly on fire. Ten hadn’t been his first but he had been, without a doubt, his best and even now, he still felt almost giddy every time the last of his clothes were off. There wasn’t a part of him that Yukhei didn’t love and, whenever he could, he tried his best to show Ten that by showering him with kisses and sucking, teasing bites.

Yukhei had no poker face to speak of and he was sure his expression gave him away when Ten grinned suddenly and ducked his head, hiding in his bangs. “Lay back,” Ten murmured, patting Yukhei’s knee and he obeyed, scooting onto the bed, his head resting on Ten’s pillow.

 _I love this_ , he thought. _I love this, too, being here. Being in your bed._ The words were right there, on the tip of his tongue, but he said, instead: “you don’t need a condom. Unless you want one.”

Ten laughed at that and Yukhei felt his ears grow warm.

“You didn’t have to get me _two_ gifts,” Ten teased, setting the bottle of lube down and climbing onto the bed. Yukhei’s legs naturally parted and when Ten began laying down, he wrapped his arms around him, holding him skin-to-skin for the first time in months.

“I’m very generous like that,” Yukhei whispered with a grin and then he kissed Ten, long and hard and hungry.

“You are,” Ten moaned, when he could, when Yukhei’s mouth moved to his jaw and then his neck. Here, Yukhei knew, was his weakness, this was what really got Ten going and he sucked and bit along his skin, not caring if he left a mark. They had an entire weekend to heal and fade — and Yukhei wanted to leave proof that he was there, that he had loved Ten physically and not just emotionally, quietly and from afar.

“Fuck,” Ten whimpered beneath his mouth, and Yukhei smirked and snaked his hand between them, stroking his pre-cum slick cock slow and teasing.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to —?” He offered when he felt Ten fuck into his hand but Ten shook his head, his eyes opening.

Sitting back on his knees, Ten reached for the bottle of lube and poured it out on his palm. Both men groaned as Ten’s hand wrapped around his cock — Yukhei because watching Ten stroke himself off was one of his favorite things. Ten knew it, too, and he drew it out, thrusting up into his fist hard before slowing down as he withdrew.

“Gonna fuck you so good,” he murmured, smirking slightly, lifting his gaze and when they locked eyes, Yukhei felt his body flash white-hot with desire.

God, he was irresistible. Yukhei was totally wrapped around his finger and he knew it, too.

“Ten, fuck —"

Ten nodded, understanding what he wanted and needed, and shifted so his body hovered over Yukhei’s, his slick hand moving down, over his hip to his thigh, and then easing further.

“Touch yourself,” he said and Yukhei didn’t need to be told twice: he reached for the lube and then for his cock, his grip wet and tight and fast as Ten began opening him up. “Oh — too much?” Ten asked when Yukhei’s breath shuddered out of him and his hand stilled.

“No, it’s just — it’s been a while,” Yukhei breathed. “I’m okay.”

“I can slow down.”

“I’m okay,” he repeated and Ten nodded, teasing him with a second finger shallowly before slipping it in. It wasn’t long before Yukhei was moaning at the dual sensations, of Ten’s fingers fucking into him while he stroked his cock, rhythm faltering when it was too much.

“Good?” Ten asked, his expression loving and gentle despite the almost unbearably thick sexual tension in the room.

 _Maybe now_ , Yukhei thought. _I could tell him now_.

“Good.”

The fingers were gone then, and Ten had a hand behind Yukhei’s knee, pulling his leg further up his side before reaching between them to help press the head of his cock in.

“I wish you could see your face,” Ten breathed and Yukhei realized then that he had closed his eyes, because when he opened them, Ten was smiling down at him. His hips pushed further and then Ten laughed softly as he bottomed out and Yukhei groaned and reached for him. “You’re so beautiful.”

“Shh,” Yukhei hushed him with a laugh of his own. “You’re supposed to tire me out, not make me blush.”

“I can do _both_ ,” Ten said, his tone turning as wicked as his smile.

His pace wasn’t brutal but it was hard, each thrust into Yukhei firm and shifting him further up the bed. If he had worried earlier than Yukhei couldn’t handle it, that worry had been replaced with strong confidence that Yukhei could definitely take everything he gave him, and that faith was only underscored by every delighted moan and gasping cry that he forced from his lips.

“Ten!” Yukhei whimpered, clutching Ten’s shoulders so hard that he was sure he would leave a mark there, too. Little half-moons for him to kiss the next morning, while Ten was still asleep. God, he wanted that but not just tomorrow, not again on Sunday, but every single morning.

“You like that, baby?” Ten asked, his normally sweet voice rough and breathless, his words punctuated with a harder thrust that made Yukhei see stars. “You going to come on me?”

“Yeah,” Yukhei managed and Ten propped himself over him with his arm, his free hand reaching for his wrist before pushing their hands between them. He didn’t have to be told what to do: he wrapped his fingers around his cock and with each stroke into him, Yukhei mirrored it with a jerk of his hand.

It was all too much, too good and he didn’t last long after that. Yukhei gasped Ten’s name one last time and then he came into his fist, his body shuddering and shaking.

“That’s it, that’s it,” Ten was whispering. His hips had slowed to a gentle roll and Yukhei felt soft, wet lips ghost over his cheek before he tilted his head and kissed Ten properly.

“Ten,” Yukhei started and then paused.

“What, baby?” Ten nuzzled his face against his and he could feel his breath, his mouth was right there, perfect and beautiful, he could kiss him and tell him that he loved him and maybe it would be just as perfect as the bow of Ten’s lips. It would be so easy, he could exhale it so soft and so sweet. “Hm?”

“I want to feel you come,” he said and Ten grinned his mega-watt smile.

“Don’t worry,” Ten teased and kissed his face again, “I’m gonna.”

It took a little rearranging and, just for a moment, Ten pulled out but only so that Ten could run to grab a hand towel and Yukhei could lift up and a pillow could be slipped beneath the small of his back. And then Ten was back inside and the new angle and the new depth had both of them whining and moaning.

“If it’s too much —“ Ten started but Yukhei shook his head and reached for Ten’s waist, tugging him against him and it didn’t take more encouragement for Ten to start thrusting hard and deep. He was quicker now, just how he liked and needed to reach his orgasm, and Yukhei wondered if he would come again when Ten shuddered, his hold on his thighs almost bruising. They stayed like that for a moment, panting heavily, and then Ten ran his hands over Yukhei’s legs and hips.

“Breathe in,” he murmured and Yukhei did, and then, “breathe out.” And on the exhale, as Yukhei relaxed further, he gently pulled out and away and then sprawled out on the bed on his back.

Yukhei followed quickly, rolling off the pillow and onto a giggling Ten. They kissed hungrily at first and then, as fatigue set in, slower, more lazily.

“I’m glad you’re staying,” Ten said, his fingers stroking over the side of Yukhei’s face.

“Me too,” Yukhei breathed. “Happy birthday.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just LuTen enjoying a weekend together while Yukhei agonizes over how to tell Ten that he loves him. 
> 
> It's really been a week and I needed a pick-me-up. Two parts because I realized this was getting long and I wasn't anywhere near where I wanted to end it.
> 
> Oof, please excuse typos. I guess Grammarly was like “this checks out” and didn’t alert to me to some I am now seeing.


	2. Chapter 2

There were more moments that night that Yukhei wanted to tell Ten how he felt about him: in the shower, after they had both come, and Ten had his back turned so he could wash his hair; when Ten went searching through his dresser to find something big enough for Yukhei to wear as pajamas and found an old shirt Yukhei had left behind from last time — or Ten had stolen, he couldn’t be certain once he saw the faint blush on Ten’s cheeks; when they crawled beneath the covers and Ten cued up a documentary on the Pacific Ocean.

“This came out last summer,” Yukhei said, squinting at the TV across the room now that his contacts were out. “Didn’t it? Have you been saving it this whole time?”

“You love the ocean,” Ten responded with a shrug, and then he tugged him closer until Yukhei’s head was on his chest.

 _Love you, love you_ , Yukhei thought, his arm tightening around Ten’s waist. _I love you_.

Yukhei had struggled with insomnia since he was a teenager but, surprisingly, it didn’t take long for him to fall asleep. Without his glasses, everything seemed softer, hazier; he could hear Ten’s heartbeat beneath his ear, the waves on the television, the low drone of the narrator. Ten’s fingers stroked through his hair and then, before he knew it, he was out like a light.

The next morning, Yukhei woke just as the sun was coming up. Sometime during the night, they had shifted until Yukhei was spooned up behind him, his arm draped over his side. This close, he could easily see the soft pink marks his mouth had left on Ten’s neck and shoulders and, as juvenile as it was — and it truly was, Yukhei felt proud.

“I was here,” he whispered to himself as he reached up to trace over one.

Ten shifted and stirred, and then murmured: “tickles.”

“Sorry,” Yukhei said and then, not at all sorry, replaced his fingertips with his lips, his hand moving to Ten’s hip to pull him closer.

“It’s _early_ ,” Ten said, his voice a whine but it was hard to tell if it was from sleepiness or the tease of Yukhei’s fingers over his skin. Yukhei backed off just in case, flattening his palm over Ten’s stomach.Ten breathed a soft “good boy” before dozing off again, leaving Yukhei to watch the shadows of the room shift and change as the sun came up and mentally trace the freckles on Ten’s shoulder into different constellations, each more elaborate than the last. Each named simply, lovingly ‘Ten’.

* * *

“We should go get you some clothes,” Ten said after breakfast. “Your glasses at least. You should leave a pair in your car. Or here,” he added before taking a sip of his coffee.

Yukhei did his best not to react — or read too far into it. They were friends, they had been friends since they were kids. If Ten wanted to leave things at _his_ place, he would have been fine with that. Never mind the fact that he was madly in love with him and wanted nothing more than to have something anchoring him there. A favorite sweater, a loaned book, an excuse to see him sooner rather than later.

Either way, he was right. Yukhei should have known better to wear the single-use contacts the night before, especially if there had been any chance of Ten inviting him to stay. And with Ten, unless he was otherwise occupied and dating someone, there always was.

“Which ones should I leave?”

“Mm,” Ten hummed as he thought. “I like the black ones.”

Yukhei smiled. “The rectangular ones?”

“Yeah. You look so handsome in those. I always feel like I should call you ‘sir’,” he said with a smirk, lifting his brows suggestively.

Mid-drink, Yukhei exhaled a laugh through his nose and did his best not to sputter on his coffee.

They brushed their teeth and changed, Ten teasing Yukhei about his walk of shame in his clothes from the night before. Before leaving, Yukhei handed Ten the keys to his car.

“Can you drive us there?” He asked and Ten nodded and then, despite the fact that Yukhei could see the porch stairs just fine, he took his arm and then, gallantly, opened the door for him on the passenger side. “Flirt,” Yukhei breathed.

“Always,” Ten said, grinning, before shutting the door.

Ten took the long way, just like Yukhei knew he would. They had driven this road a few times before, when Ten was looking at houses and wanted company and a second opinion, and it skirted along the edge of the suburbs before winding through farmland and up into the hills. Twice, they had stopped along the way, once so Yukhei could take a picture of Ten in the thick red clover that had bloomed in the early summer sun, and then again, to admire the view of the mountain. Both times, Yukhei imagined what it would be like to have a house there; both times, he imagined Ten in that house.

Yukhei’s neighborhood had woken up by the time they arrived. He had picked his apartment because it was close in to town, closer to work, and because it was walkable. His building had a bakery and a bookstore on the first floor, and when Ten spent the night, they’d have breakfast before browsing the shelves for hours, reading the blurbs from the dust jackets to each other.

“Mess,” Ten sighed heavily as he turned onto Yukhei’s street. There was a spot open but it required parallel parking, which never failed to make Ten anxious, even with the back-up cam and the guidance.

“I would do it —“ Yukhei started but Ten shook his head, cutting him off: “no, it’s okay. I know you can’t.”

“You’re going to do great.”

“Thanks, baby,” Ten muttered, his face already serious with concentration.

It took a few tries and a little back and forth but Yukhei was patient and quiet. He had had enough men in his life attempt to give him 'helpful' advice to know that it was never helpful. When the car was finally in park and they were standing on the sidewalk, he clapped Ten on the back. “You did it!”

“Bless you,” Ten said with a laugh, “but you can’t see a damn thing, can you?”

“Not really,” Yukhei responded cheerfully and Ten sighed again, shaking his head.

“What am I going to do with you?”

“Help me home?” Yukhei asked with a slight pout, laying it on thick even though things were close enough for him to see and make sense of.

“C’mon,” Ten playfully grumbled and took his arm again, and then guided him to the front door. In the lobby, his hand slid down Yukhei’s arm until their fingers could thread together loosely, his thumb stroking over his skin. Then, as a man and his dog walked past, Ten tightened his hold and brought their hands together in front of him.

“What was that?” Yukhei asked when they were alone again.

“He was checking you out.”

Yukhei laughed and turned his head, trying to see which of his neighbors had passed them. Ten tugged his hand again. “He was probably checking _you_ out,” Yukhei said softly, returning his attention to him as the elevator doors opened.

“No,” Ten insisted. His tone was prickly and he refused to meet Yukhei’s gaze. “You can’t see. He was definitely looking at you.”

“Jealous?” Yukhei teased, squeezing Ten’s hand. When Ten didn’t answer, the smallest glimmer of hope bloomed in Yukhei’s chest.

* * *

Unlike Yukhei with Ten’s new place, Ten knew every square inch of Yukhei’s apartment and he headed to the living room to grab the spare set of glasses he kept in on the coffee table, for when he was feeling incredibly lazy and not at all interested in going to grab his usual pair from wherever they had been left behind. He also noticed Yukhei’s new bed right away when he joined him in the bedroom.

“Wow. You upgraded,” Ten said from the doorway. “California King?”

“I don’t know if you’ve realized this, but I am very tall,” Yukhei responded as he picked through his clothes. His last boyfriend had also been taller than average, but he didn’t mention that. Ten had always been polite to Yukhei’s boyfriends when they met — and Yukhei treated any guy Ten was seeing the same — but as soon as they broke up, neither was interested in bringing them up.

Yukhei wondered sometimes if that was normal. He had no other point of reference: Ten was his first and only experience when it came to friends-with-benefits and, honestly, he planned on keeping it that way, if only because he was the only person he ever truly wanted.

“I noticed,” Ten said and Yukhei glanced over his shoulder to see that he was standing by his side of the bed, running his fingers over the duvet cover idly.

He turned back to his closet and pushed a few shirts to the side, looking for his favorite. It was easier now that he had his glasses on. Then, “you’re cute.”

Behind him, Ten laughed. “I know. But what did I do this time?”

“Downstairs. When you got jealous.”

“I wasn’t _jealous.”_

“Mm,” Yukhei hummed and turned, finding the shirt he had been looking for. “Territorial, then?”

Ten’s expression gave him away and he knew it, too, because he gave up trying to fight Yukhei on it. Something about that spurred Yukhei on and he stepped closer until Ten lifted his chin ever so slightly to look him in the eye.

“It’s cute that you think I would ever notice that when you’re here,” he said softly, tossing the shirt to the pile of clothes at the foot of the bed.

A hint of a smirk tugged at the corner of Ten’s mouth. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“What about when I’m not here?”

Yukhei shrugged and shook his head. “I don’t notice then either.”

“Why is that?” Ten asked, playing innocent even as his fingers reached for the belt loop of Yukhei’s jeans. “Because you can’t stop thinking about me?” Using his hold, he pulled Yukhei closer, until they were nearly pressed together.

“That’s right,” Yukhei murmured and Ten’s smile widened.

“Kiss me,” he said and that’s exactly what Yukhei did, his hands cradling Ten’s face as he tilted his head back further and crushed his mouth to his.

All at once, Ten’s hands were everywhere, tugging at his shirt, slipping beneath the clothing to rake across his back. Yukhei made a soft noise against his lips and Ten pulled back slightly, laughing before he bit Yukhei’s bottom lip. His hands on his hips, Yukhei pushed Ten back until he was sprawled out on his bed and then immediately ducked down, pushing his shirt up over his stomach so he could kiss and suck and bite his way down to the waistband of his black joggers.

“You’re all I think about, too,” Ten breathed and Yukhei whispered against his skin, “good.”

Then he stood, reached back to grasp his shirt, and pulled it over his head. Ten’s hands fluttered over his bare skin when he leaned over him but only for a moment because then Yukhei had them over his head, pressed against the mattress.

“Leave them there,” Yukhei said firmly and Ten nodded, his lips parted as he breathed heavily. “You spoiled me last night,” he continued, his hands smoothing over Ten’s sides until they were back to his waist. Using his hold on him, he pulled Ten closer to the edge of the bed. “And on your birthday, too.”

“I wanted to.”

“You’re too good to me,” Yukhei whispered as he returned to kissing over Ten’s stomach, one hand easing to his front and squeezing his cock through his pants. Ten shivered and moaned, and when Yukhei glanced up, he had his eyes closed, fingers grasping the blanket beneath him. “Beautiful,” he said.

“You are,” Ten said softly.

Yukhei exhaled a laugh and hooked his fingers in the waistband of his pants before sliding them down. Ten wasn’t totally hard yet, at least, not hard enough for what Yukhei had intended but that could be remedied quickly. He tossed his joggers to the side and then crouched between his spread knees, leaning on one arm as his other hand wrapped around his cock and guided it to his wetted lips.

“Yukhei —“ Ten gasped, tensing suddenly, and he felt hands on the back of his head.

“Ah-ah,” Yukhei warned, barely lifting his mouth from the tip of his cock. He heard a sighing whine and then Ten relaxed and, presumably, let his arms fall back again.

He was sweet, but he always was and Yukhei greedily lapped up every drop of pre-cum before beginning to suck. He loved this, he loved using his mouth to get him hard. The first time they had fucked, Yukhei had licked and sucked until he had pulled his hair, pleading for him to show mercy, to let him get a condom, and when Ten was finally inside, it had turned Yukhei on to no end to know that his mouth had made Ten that hard and that needy. He thought about that night more than he liked to admit.

Yukhei had other plans, though. Ten had already given him exactly what he wanted the night before and now it was his turn to spoil him, so when he was rock hard, he lifted his head and sat back on his heels.

“No,” Ten whimpered, covering his face with his hands. “Please, baby, don’t stop —“

“I’m not going to,” Yukhei said and kissed his thigh, then stood. “Sit up.”

Ten didn’t question him. He simply did as he was told and when Yukhei went for the hem of his shirt, he lifted his arms to help with his undressing.

“I want you,” he whispered, watching as Yukhei unbuttoned his jeans. There was something in his voice that made Yukhei pause but before he could say anything in response, Ten’s fingers had taken up his work and unzipped his pants before both hands slid into the clothing, shifting it down his thighs. Leaning forward, Ten pressed his own kisses against Yukhei’s stomach; it was distracting but not enough to throw him off.

“No, no,” he said softly with a grin. “It’s your turn.”

Ten whined again and pulled away, allowing Yukhei to push down his boxers. Naked now, reached for the bottle of lube he kept at the foot of the bed frame, and then, before Ten could run any more interference, he sat down on the bed and pulled Ten closer, encouraging him to lean back against his chest.

“You always take such good care of me,” Yukhei murmured as he kissed along Ten’s shoulder, his hands busy at opening and pouring out the lube. “I want to make you feel good.”

“You always make me feel good,“ Ten said and then his breath shuddered as Yukhei wrapped a slick hand around his cock.

“Mm,” Yukhei hummed, watching his fist roll up and down slowly, teasingly. “But I want to make you come now.” His other arm wrapped around Ten’s waist, holding him close as he picked up his pace, and then he pressed a kiss to the shell of Ten’s ear.

Yukhei’s name stuttered out of Ten’s mouth and then there was nothing more than moans and gasps as he leaned his head back on the shelf of Yukhei’s shoulder. When Yukhei’s hand tightened around him on an upward stroke, Ten whimpered and his fingers curled into the duvet beneath them.

“You like that?” Yukhei asked and Ten nodded quickly. “I want to hear how much you like it. I want you louder,” he added and closed his hand around him just a little more, earning a moan that was almost melodic. “I can’t hear you, baby.”

“Yukhei —!”

“That’s it,” Yukhei said with a low laugh. “Now I can hear you. What’re you thinking about? Are you thinking about me? Are you imagining how tight I am when you fuck me?”

“Oh god,” Ten gasped and he thrust up against Yukhei’s hand. Yukhei knew he wanted to touch himself but he was doing so good, his hands at his sides, knuckles white from grasping the blanket so hard.

“Yeah,” Yukhei breathed and then kissed the side of Ten’s face. “You fucked me so good last night — so hard, so deep — you know no one else can fuck me like you do.”

“Just me.” Ten writhed in Yukhei’s embrace, panting hard, and every squirm rubbed his body back against Yukhei’s hard cock. It was hard to focus but he persevered, dedicating all of his energy to Ten’s pleasure.

“Just you,” Yukhei repeated.“Are you close?”

Ten nodded and then hissed, “yeah.”

Yukhei loosened his hold around him and reached up to tilt his face to the side. He kissed him and then, that same hand slipped down to cup and squeeze his balls. Ten yelped, muffled only slightly by Yukhei’s mouth, and he came with one last thrust up into his fist.

 _Love you, love you, I love you_ , Yukhei thought as he held him through it, and then again, over and over, until it was just a constant chant as Ten relaxed against his chest, his breath ragged.

“You, now,” Ten whispered and Yukhei nodded.

He was so hard, he ached; it wouldn’t take much but he wanted Ten to watch and so he laid him back on the bed and kneeled between his legs, one hand resting on his stomach and the other wrapped around his cock, stroking fast and tight. Ten was gorgeous like this, unwound and trembling, his chest and stomach painted with his cum. Yukhei took it all in before he found his gaze and then it hit him, and Yukhei doubled over, coming across Ten’s belly with a groan.

“Come here,” Ten said and he reached for Yukhei and when Yukhei lowered himself down on top of him, Ten held him close, one hand on the back of his head, keeping his face tucked into his neck.

Somewhere beneath the beat of his heart, Yukhei heard him whisper, “you’re everything, everything,” and he realized then how stupid he had been all along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess I'm doing three parts.
> 
> Bless everyone for reading despite my typos.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've played a bit with the ages for this one. Both are aged up (mid-twenties) but two years apart. I definitely meant to mention that in my notes before and I definitely see now that I did not. Apologies.

If Ten had realized what he had said in the heat of the moment, he didn’t give it away. Not as they laid on Yukhei’s bed, not when they went to go clean up and get dressed, and certainly not when they were driving back to his house. Instead, Ten went on about a book he had been reading, that he only put down because Yukhei was there. Otherwise, he promised, he would have finished it by now.

Yukhei always was quieter around Ten, if only because he never required him to entertain and take up more space than he wanted, but he was stuck in his head, replaying every moment leading up to it, remembering the sound of his voice in his ear.

 _Everything_. Ten thought he was his everything.

Or was it just a pretty thing to say? By nighttime, Yukhei had started to doubt _everything_. He had said a few ridiculous things to his exes post-orgasm; a few times, he had had to walk them back. Other times, they both seemed to agree that it was just the loved-up feelings talking. Yukhei had never known Ten to make strong proclamations during sex but, well, there was a first time for everything. Wasn’t there?

“You feeling okay?” Ten asked as they got ready for bed, touching his arm gently.

Yukhei spat his mouthful of toothpaste into the sink and then nodded. “Yeah. Sorry, just thinking about work.”

Ten’s brow furrowed and he moved in closer, kissing Yukhei’s shoulder. “Anything I can do to help, baby?” His palm had moved to the small of Yukhei’s back, his fingertips easing beneath the waist of his pajama pants. Yukhei knew it wasn’t to turn him on — he was just an affectionate person, wasn’t he? Always touching and holding.

 _Just a pretty thing to say_ , Yukhei thought, his heart hurting.

“Will you read to me?” He asked. “That book you were telling me about. Wherever you left off is fine. It’ll keep my mind off things.”

Ten smiled and shook his head. “It’s okay. We can start from the beginning.”

“You’re sweet,” Yukhei said softly and then laughed when Ten shook his head again.

“ _You_ are.”

Back in the bedroom, Ten crawled beneath the covers on his side, reclined back against the pillows, and reached for his book. Yukhei settled over him, his hips cradled between Ten’s legs, one arm slipped behind him.

“Here,” Ten said and Yukhei laid his head down on his chest, just he had the night before, and so many nights before that. When Ten spoke again, his voice was a soft rumble. “Comfortable?”

“Yeah.”

Ten started from the very beginning and, almost immediately, Yukhei let his mind wander.

He thought about the first time he met Ten, when the two families first became friends. He thought about Ten coming to his thirteenth birthday, even though he was probably too old and definitely too cool to spend time with a house full of kids eating far too many slices of pizza and whose idea of a dare was to mix every type of soda on hand into one glass before guzzling it down.

He remembered Ten coming home for the winter holidays and the summer during college, and he remembered him patiently telling Yukhei what to expect when it was _his_ turn to go to university. He hadn’t been scared, getting on the plane. He knew that even if he was sad or lonely for home, that was normal and that it would get better.

He remembered that night when he thought his grandmother would die and how Ten was the only person who could calm him down, telling him that even if he couldn’t be there to tell her that he loved her one last time, she knew. He promised. Yukhei trusted that promise.

Ten’s fingers moved through his hair and he closed his eyes and thought about the first time they kissed. He was twenty-one and it was midnight and when he turned to Ten to wish him a happy New Year, Ten leaned up, and Yukhei, without thinking about it, leaned down and they met in the middle.

“Do you like it so far?” Ten asked and Yukhei nodded, eyes still closed.

“Keep going.”

He tried to think about all of the kisses after that, but there were too many to remember so he thought about his favorites. The kiss in the car, when it was raining too hard to run to the door. The kiss in Yukhei’s new apartment and the kiss in the bookstore the morning after. He thought about the way Ten brushed his hair out of his eyes and then ran his finger over his nose, his smile soft and gentle and just full of, of —

Yukhei opened his eyes. Ten loved him, didn’t he? It wasn’t just him being sweet and affectionate, it hadn’t just been a pretty thing to say. If he could have loved Ten all of this time, if he could have been looking for the words and the time, hoping that Ten saw it, then why couldn’t that be true for Ten?

“You know I love you, right?” Yukhei said before he realized he would say it.

Ten paused in his reading and, for a moment, they were both quiet. The fingers in his hair stopped, mid-stroke.

“You know I’ve loved you for years,” Yukhei said. “Right?”

“I thought, maybe —“ Ten started and then stopped. “I didn’t want to ruin this.”

Yukhei tilted his head so that he could look up at Ten. “Ruin what? You couldn’t ruin things even if you tried.”

“I thought you didn’t want that. With me. After we, we —“ Ten was suddenly bashful and he gave Yukhei a meaningful look. “You know, I waited. To see if you wanted a relationship but you didn’t say anything and I guess I didn’t either…” The sentence trailed off.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know how to tell you. I’m sorry,” he repeated, and then Ten set his book aside and both hands were on Yukhei’s face as Ten shook his head.

“No, no,” Ten said. “It’s okay, baby. I just didn’t know and I didn’t want to pressure you into anything you weren’t ready for.” He offered Yukhei a smile. “Tell me again. I wasn’t ready that time.”

“I love you,” Yukhei breathed and when Ten laughed, full of delight, he did too.

“I love you, too,” Ten whispered and when he leaned down to kiss Yukhei, he leaned up and met him, again, in the middle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My take on the Tumblr prompt. 
> 
> Thank you for reading this! Everyone who has bookmarked, subscribed, or left kudos, sincerely, thank you. It's such a compliment and inspiration.


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